Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.

“McQueen”Website / Reviews
Playing last year at Ragtag Cinema, this film is a personal look at the extraordinary life, career and artistry of fashion icon Alexander McQueen. Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, it is an authentic celebration and thrilling portrait of an inspired yet tortured fashion visionary. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and co-directed/written by Peter Ettedgui. Continue reading “New DVD List: McQueen, Support The Girls & More”

The Loud family from the documentary “An American Family” (left) and actors portraying the Loud family in “Cinema Verite” (right).

Some documentaries are so compelling that you don’t want them to end. Fictional films can expand upon a documentary in unique and surprising ways, including scenes and people that didn’t make it into the original. Check out these docs that have inspired feature films:

First debuting in 1973 over twelve episodes, viewers were introduced to the William C. Loud family and the dramatic life events that unfolded during seven months of documentary shooting. This DVD edition is a two hour compilation of the series’ best moments. The documentary series inspired the fictional film “Cinema Verite” released in 2011. Continue reading “Imitation Game: Docs That Inspired Feature Films”

The neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, has gotten a lot of public attention ever since the Ice Bucket Challenge gained internet fame in 2014. In the wake of this newfound interest, several ALS-related documentaries have been released which explore the impact of this disease on individuals and families. Check out these documentaries featuring subjects with ALS.

At the age of 34, Steve Gleason, former NFL defensive back and New Orleans hero, was diagnosed with ALS. Doctors gave him two to five years to live. So that is what Steve chose to do: live. This film incorporates personal video journals from Gleason for his then-unborn son to footage of his adventures undertaken as part of his mission to live his life to the fullest. Continue reading “Ice Bucket List: Docs Featuring Subjects With ALS”

The birth of a new child is an exciting event. Documentaries involving births can capture the excitement and drama involved in the process, but they can also offer unique perspectives to future parents and their families. Check out these documentaries focusing on births. Continue reading “Little Kicks: Docs Focusing On Childbirth”

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Documentaries on the subject can give perspective to not only those contemplating suicide, but friends, family, and caregivers as well. Check out these documentaries about suicide.

A former punk-turned-Buddhist-priest in Japan has made a career out of helping suicidal people find reasons to live. But this work has come increasingly at the cost of his own family and health. This film captures him at a crossroads, leading him to confront the same question his patients ask him: what makes life worth living?

A gripping, nonfiction psychological thriller, Robert Greene’s film follows actress Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares for her next role: playing Christine Chubbuck, a Florida newscaster who committed suicide live on-air in 1974. As Kate investigates Chubbuck’s story uncovering new clues and information, she becomes increasingly obsessed with her subject.

In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. As a result, any individual whom two physicians diagnose as having less than six months to live can lawfully request a fatal dose of barbiturate to end his or her life. This film gently enters the lives of the terminally ill as they consider whether, and when, to end their lives by lethal overdose.

Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.

“Human Flow”Website / ReviewsOver 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. “Human Flow,” an epic film journey led by the artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary elucidates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Continue reading “New DVD List: Human Flow, The Rider & More”

Some documentaries take very little time to shoot, while others can take decades. For these longer films, directors undertake the tough process of sorting the quality from the quantity in order to create unique testaments to their subjects. Check out these documentaries that were filmed over long periods of time. Continue reading “Long Story Short: Docs Filmed Over Long Periods Of Time”